REVOLUTION
by George Barna
(Tyndale House Publishers, 144 pages, hardcover)
George Barna is the leading authority of American research in trends
affecting culture and religion.
Barna has a track record of startling accuracy. In one of his first
books, The Frog in the Kettle, 1990, Barna’s predictions regarding
transitions in culture and religion proved to be at least 90 percent
accurate. Since then, American authorities in all sectors are listening
quite intently to what he has to say.
In this newest book, Barna identifies a movement he calls “an
explosion of spiritual energy and activity we are calling the Revolution…”
His goal is three-fold: First, to inform the readers about the radical
changes that are re-shaping faith and the Christian church; second,
to help budding revolutionaries gain a better understanding of themselves;
and third, to encourage those who are struggling with their place in
the traditional church.
Through his recent extensive research, Barna makes some stark predictions.
Currently, approximately 30 per cent of American Christians have moved
from attending church to expressing their faith within their family,
the media or the arts. However, Barna foresees that an increase to 65
to 70 per cent of American Christians will be disconnected from traditional
church by the year 2025.
With these trends in mind, the remainder of the book is used to define
the changes the church needs to make to meet the spiritual needs of
this impending revolution.
Overall, it’s a challenging and refreshing read!
Reviewed by Dr. R. Wayne Hagerman
DAMAGE
CONTROL
by Dean Merrill
(Baker Books, 174 pages, softcover)
I first encountered Dean Merrill through his excellent work with Christianity
Today, the well-known publication founded by Dr. Billy Graham’s
ministry many years ago.
Merrill passionately teaches people to make sure their actions match their
Christian belief. This is what Damage Control is all about. It
is a stimulating and yet tough little book to read.
The book is divided into three distinct sections. Section one, entitled
“God’s Shaky Plan,” begins a discussion of God’s
deep desire to reach humanity through His Son’s sacrifice, and of
how the world receives that gift. Chapter four in particular outlines
God’s plan for Christians to be His front-line influences who will
represent Him with integrity and passion.
Section two, called “Unintentional Hindrances,” details the
cheerless ways in which Christians misrepresent Christ. Problems like
the confusing, churchy language we use — ‘Fundamental,’
‘Independent,’ ‘King James Only,’ ‘Separated,’
‘Soul-Winning’ for example — inhibit the average person
on the street from understanding just who we are.
Section three, “Envoys of Heaven” applauds the good things
that Christians are doing and can do to truthfully and truly present God’s
loving plan those who don’t know about it. Building relationships,
being willing to change and performing acts of kindness are a few of the
many he mentions.
I like this book, because Dean is honest with Christians, and rather than
coming across as a bent-out-of-shape critic, he offers helpful wisdom
for the Christian community. This is a great book for all Ambassadors
of Christ.
Reviewed by Dr. R. Wayne Hagerman
GOD
TALK
by Ruth A. Tucker
(IVP Books, 192 pages, softcover)
Until this book crossed my desk, I had never heard of Ruth Tucker, nor
had I been so challenged regarding just “how” God talks to
His children.
God Talk challenges all the preconceived notions and theories of communicating
with God, right from the get-go. It is no easy read, as it is confronts
some comfortable, misunderstood ideas.
Tucker begins her book with the all too familiar questions Christians
and non-Christians alike wrestle with: “God are you listening?”
“Did you get my message?” “Will you ever call back?”
In 10 chapters, answers to these and other questions about communicating
with the Almighty take the reader through a rather concentrated process
of recognising the faulty ways in which we attempt to reach God. As well,
we’re forced to deal with the overly exaggerated ways in which we
try to either influence Him to respond, or better yet, attempt to interpret
His answers.
In our gadget-oriented, instant messaging, live-video, up-link world,
we cannot bear to wait on God, or to use some old-fashioned methods like
prayer and patience. In Tucker’s words: “Is it possible …
in this overly-communicative Western culture, that we are expecting too
much from God? Just like our best friend with a cell phone, we expect
God to pick up every time we call.”
The underlying thesis of this book is, “Who is God, and how does
He relate to us?” By answering these questions, Tucker tells some
rather funny and not-so-funny stories about Christian society’s
flawed and serious answers. The uniqueness of this book is its celebration
of God’s silence, or if not that, at least a sense of security in
God’s silence.
I appreciate the honesty in Tucker’s admission that she is no expert
on the things she writes about here, nor has she finished wrestling with
them herself. She writes to explore the questions, the real dilemmas,
and to take the reader and herself into territories yet unexplored.
This is an excellent book for those searching for answers to their nagging
questions about God Talk.
Reviewed by Dr. R. Wayne Hagerman
JESUS
DID IT ANYWAY
by Kent M. Keith
(G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 197 pages, hardcover)
Jesus Did It Anyway is a collection of moving, revolutionary
statements or ‘paradoxical commandments,’ echoing philosophies
of love as seen in the first commandment: “People are illogical,
unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.”
That statement is the first of 10 Paradoxical Commandments which actually
come from the pen of Kent M. Keith. Kent initially wrote these in
1968, at the age of 19, as part of a booklet which was shared with
high school student leaders. Thirty thousand copies and 25 years later,
the commandments have circled the world.
Numerous religious personalities such as Mother Teresa have quoted
them, and even had them attributed to their genius. However, as the
years passed, Keith was urged by Christians to expand on these commandments
by providing Biblical stories to supplement them.
So, by examining both the Old and New Testaments, Kent has been able
to flesh out these amazing commandments using real Biblical characters.
For example, Kent uses Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son to
explain the aforementioned commandment. The intro to this book provides
a backdrop to Kent’s reason for giving ‘flesh and blood
reality’ to each commandment. It is, as he explains, “The
ancient search for meaning.”
This is an outstanding book that both compliments and confirms Kent’s
10 Paradoxical Commandments. It’s more than a good read; it’s
a book for spiritual growth and development in faith.
Reviewed by Dr. R. Wayne Hagerman
BEHIND
THE SCREEN
by Spencer Lewerenz and Barbara Nicolosi
(Baker Books, softcover, 216 pages)
It was a Saturday afternoon and I was standing in a long line at the grocery
store. As I looked around my eyes lit on a rack of tabloids and celebrity
magazines. Famous people graced the covers in various states of dignity
and disgrace. The headlines ranged from stories of dream weddings to parties,
illicit substances, divorce, affairs, and mental diseases. It was these
very magazines and their headlines that have influenced my decisions to
turn off my TV and watch very few movies.
What am I doing when I change the channel or turn off the TV? Does Hollywood
really “go away”? Do my actions make any kind of difference,
or have I just ignored the problem in the hopes that it will go away life?
Can I have any influence on pop culture?
Behind the Screen takes an insider’s look at Hollywood
and whether or not Christians can influence filmmaking. You may not agree
with their take on Hollywood, or want to try their suggestions. However,
it’s worth listening to their perspectives on what they see as their
mission field.
Open your heart to the possibility of making a difference in this culture
and be prepared for a change in perspective. Flick off the TV, go Behind
the Screen and see how you can be part of the mission work in Hollywood.
Reviewed by Suzanne Archer
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